Provoke
by Rexcalibur14
Summary: Soren and Shinon decide to swap special skills while fighting Ashera in the Tower of Guidance. Needless to say, the Goddess of Order gets a little ticked off... Contains mpreg, but absolutely NO yaoi or lemons whatsoever. Don't like, don't read!
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so here's the first chapter to my very first fanfic! *Squee* I'm really excited! So as the description explains, this story contains mpreg. Stop reading right now if mpreg is not your cup of tea! I personally possess a great love for it, and obviously, I'm not the only one! ;) So as far as this fic is concerned, It kind of surprises me that there is quite literally only _one_ Soren mpreg story on here that I have seen, since the whole Ike/Soren pairing is ridiculously popular. I for one, don't really like yaoi or lemons or yaoi-lemons, so there is none of that in this story. I'm in love with Soren, which means I love torturing him as well! ;) That's pretty much the basis I have for this fic. And that there are not enough Soren mpregs in the world! Those are my two major reasons for writing this. Well, with all that being said, guess all that's left is to do the disclaimer thingamajig. Hey Soren, sweetie! Why don't you do it?**

**Soren: Rexcalibur does not own Fire Emblem or any of its characters. Thank Ashera she doesn't, otherwise I might be in even more trouble.**

**Teehee, you got that right! :P On with the story!**

* * *

"Alright, everyone!" the goddess Yune chirped from her vessel in Micaiah. "This is the top level of the Tower. As soon as you pass through these doors, you'll face Ashera herself." The group of rebels readied themselves, knowing that this was it. They would either defeat the Goddess of Order or die trying. There was no happy medium between the two.

"You heard Yune, troops," Ike called out to his companions. "I want all of you to fight to the best of your ability. We can win this if we all work together."

Everyone nodded, bracing themselves to enter the doors when they opened. Soren was making sure all of his tomes were marked on the right pages, when a certain marksman's arm slung itself over his shoulder. Soren turned around to face the man, shrugging his body out from underneath the unwelcome limb. "What in the goddess's name are you doing, Shinon?" he asked coldly.

"Geez, touchy!" Shinon chided. "What? I can't give you a friendly pat on the back?"

Soren sighed, resisting the urge to face-palm. "Shinon, we are not friends. We have never been friends. You call me a low-bred whelp every chance you get. Give me one reason why I should let you act friendly towards me all of a sudden?" Shinon's expression became hard.

"Okay fine, I'll just tell you straight up what my idea is," he said. Soren gave him a questionable look.

"Idea?" he repeated. "What kind of idea?" Suddenly, Soren was more than interested in hearing this 'idea' of Shinon's.

Shinon shifted his weight from foot to foot before sharing. "Well, I was thinking. I'm already a pretty badass archer, but if I'm gonna even land a hit on this deranged goddess, then I'm going to need all the help I can get."

"Please just get to the point already, Shinon," Soren spat impatiently. "Why does this involve me?"

Shinon sighed irritably, placing a hand on the side of his head. "Look, I want to switch skills with you. Just for this battle." He watched as Soren's expression shifted from testy to just downright annoyed. "Please?" Shinon asked in a rather high-pitched whiny voice that most certainly was not like him. The tone of it actually made Soren's ears twitch a bit. "I really need Adept."

"No, you don't need Adept," Soren said. "I need Adept. Otherwise, I can't double attack."

"Oh, come on!" Shinon grumbled. "Your magic's powerful enough to kill things in one hit! You don't need to double attack!"

Soren groaned, finally allowing his hand to cover his face. "Just what would I want with Provoke, anyhow?"

"It's actually kinda fun to use," Shinon said with a slight smirk on his face. "And it's simple, too. All you do is insult the enemy until they've worked up a blistering fury, then you can go in for the kill." Soren could tell Shinon definitely took advantage of this skill. Of course, when you're Shinon, taunting someone until they curl up into a defenseless, pathetic ball is always fun.

Eventually, and with the help of Shinon's begging, Soren agreed to trade skills. It was not long after this, that the doors finally opened, and Ike led his band of rebels into the room. And there in the center, was Ashera. Soren was somewhat surprised. For a psychopath, she didn't look that bad, aside from the random feathers growing out of her head.

"So, you've come to destroy me, have you?" Ashera spoke. Then she laughed darkly. "You can try, but you will not succeed."

"Alright, troops!" Ike shouted. "Let's give her a taste of her own medicine!" And just like that, the battle commenced. Ashera had summoned a strange veil-like border around her to protect her as long as it would hold out. Soren watched as an arrow flew straight through the air, penetrating the force field like it was nothing. Instantaneously, that part of the field dissipated. Shinon smirked at Soren.

"See? I told you having Adept would help me," he remarked, drawing back another arrow. "You really should try using Provoke now."

Soren shook his head sharply. "I don't know what to say to her." After some hand gestures from Shinon, Soren got up the courage to insult the daylights out of the Goddess of Order. "Ashera!" he called out, not only earning her attention, but everyone else's as well.

Ashera hissed. "What do you want, little boy?" Soren froze a bit, but Shinon prodded him in the back with his bow, urging him to continue. Soren took a deep breath, then put on the most smug face he had in him.

"Let me guess," he began, suddenly feeling overly confident. "Your parents didn't hug you as a child." Some of the people behind Soren gasped, while others, mainly the men, shouted "Ohhhhhh!" and gave the person next to them a high five.

"WHAT?!" Ashera burst out. "You dare to insult me?! The Goddess of Order!?" Soren didn't give her any mercy, however.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I didn't realize you were a goddess. You look more like a washed up bird Laguz."

"Ohhhhhh!" Everyone shouted again. Even Tibarn and the rest of the members of the Bird Tribe were laughing at that one, though it wasn't exactly kind to them either. But unlike the goddess, they could take a joke. Soren smiled evilly. He had one more zinger up his sleeve.

"Do you still love nature...despite what it did to you?" This one had Ashera's face turning red.

"That's it, boy!" She screamed. "That's the last straw! Even if I am defeated on this day, I swear I'm going to torture you far worse than any human male ever has been! You'll see!" Not long after she'd gotten through her rage-filled rant, Ike's divine sword, Ragnell, came crashing down on top of her, and the feared Goddess of Order dissolved into nothing. Everyone in the room was silent for a moment.

"Well, that's that, I guess," Ike said, shrugging his shoulders. "Not nearly as bad as I thought it would be."

* * *

In the next month that followed, Ike and his trusted band of mercenaries returned to their beloved home in Crimea. The mercenary fort needed to be cleaned quite a bit; everything in it had accumulated a thick layer of dust during their absence. As a result, everyone was assigned their own jobs to do to help restore their home to its former glory. Mist and Mia dusted all the furnishings until they sparkled like new. Gatrie and Boyd went to gather some firewood. Rhys was busy restocking his medicine shelves, which consisted of everything from herbs to draughts. Shinon and Rolf decided to go hunt some game. Oscar was happily preparing the evening meal for the mercenaries, humming a chipper little tune as he did so.

Since Ike and Titania had other, more important things to do, as they said, Soren was given the job of putting all the books back in the library. It wasn't a hard task by any means, but the little sage was rather annoyed that he was not getting any assistance. No one in the group had dared to say this to his face, but Soren had become even more irritable than usual lately. The littlest matters were setting him off like a ticking time bomb. Mist had accidentally stepped on his foot earlier that day, and he nearly made her cry with his 'reprimand.' Of course, that little scene had not gone unnoticed by the others. It was a very small fort.

Soren strained to stand on his toes as he reached to put the last book on the top shelf. He sighed and wiped a thick layer of sweat off his forehead. In truth, he wasn't sure why he was sweating so much. The weather was fairly mild. But he brushed it off as he headed out of the library. Since he had finished his job, he figured he would go back to his room and finish unpacking his things. Unfortunately, his body had other plans. He suddenly felt a strange bout of nausea hit him, and he rushed into the kitchen, where Oscar was still cooking dinner.

"Soren?" The green-haired, squinty-eyed paladin looked up from chopping carrots. "What brings you here? You normally don't set foot in the kitchen."

Soren viciously scanned the room for the object he was looking for, eventually finding it next to the meat stores. "Can I borrow this for a moment?" he asked weakly, holding up the object in question: a bucket. Oscar gave him a bewildered look.

"Sure, I guess," he replied. "What f-" But before Oscar had even gotten the words out, Soren was emptying the contents of his stomach into the bucket. "Oh, I see" Oscar noted, slowly turning his head away from the sight. Once Soren was finished, he removed his head from inside the bucket. His normally pale face had turned a horrifying green color.

"Thanks, Oscar," Soren said, holding the bucket out for the paladin to take. Oscar put his hands in front of him and quickly took a step back.

"That's okay," he said. "You can keep it. Just in case you need to, uh...use it again." Oscar watched in disgust as Soren's face twisted once more, and he again leaned his head into the bucket.

"Well, I'll be going now," he croaked once he was finished vomiting. He quickly retreated to his room, deciding that the best course of action would just be to wait this out until it went away. "It shouldn't be too terribly long," he uttered quietly to himself as he shut the door to his room and locked it so no one could disturb him. A bit uncharacteristic of Soren, but at this moment, he could not have been more wrong.

* * *

The following week, Soren found that a new symptom had been added to his strange sickness. Not only was he throwing up a lot, but he realized that he was hungry almost every hour of every day. He would put away plate after plate of food, leaving everyone positively baffled. Now normally, the other mercenaries wouldn't question the fact that someone ate a lot. Heck, Ike, Boyd, and Gatrie were always shoving food down their gullets. But since this behavior was coming from Soren, who normally would not eat unless someone forced him too, they were all a little suspicious. They also didn't fail to notice the slight change in his physique. Soren was a very trim, slender young man, but recently, he had put on a little bit of weight. The mercenaries knew that it was no doubt due to the excessive amount of calories he was taking in, but Titania sternly told them not to mention this to him.

"Wasn't even thinking about doing that, really," Shinon smirked. All the mercenaries, save for Soren, of course, were gathered in the mess hall one evening. Ike had called a special meeting to discuss Soren's strange behavior. "Wouldn't that be a cheerful conversation? 'Hey, Soren. You now, you've been getting kinda fat.'" Titania promptly smacked the marksman upside the head. "Ow! Well what do you want us to do about it, then?"

"Just let him alone," Titania said. "He's probably just under a lot of stress right now and his body is reacting in a way that it normally doesn't." she explained. Everyone nodded, knowing that was most likely what was going on. After all, they all knew how high strung Soren could be.

"Ike, since you know him the best out of all of us, what do you think is wrong?" Mia asked. Everyone turned to the commander.

Ike simply shrugged his shoulders. "It's probably just stress, like Titania said. And I agree, we should just ignore his abnormal behavior. It might make him even more upset if someone comments about it."

And so their private meeting adjourned, and everyone retired to their rooms for the night. As Ike passed by Soren's room, he could hear a slight whimpering from the other side of the door. He allowed himself to wonder if Soren had somehow heard any of what they discussed. He hoped he hadn't.

* * *

Soren knew something was seriously wrong with him, of course. His rapid weight gain had not gone unnoticed by him. He knew he was eating way too much, but he found that he just couldn't control it. The vomiting had subsided for the most part, but he still did it on occasion. His irritability was through the roof, and on most days, he just ignored the mercenaries altogether, lest he say something incredibly rude to one of them that he didn't even mean to say. As he dressed into his nightclothes that night, he stopped to look into his full length mirror for a moment after he'd removed the outer part of his robes. His undershirt was beginning to feel very tight on him, because of his weight gain. He stepped closer to the mirror and turned to the side, trying to get a better view of his slightly distended belly. Timidly, he put a hand to his abdomen, and his blood red eyes went wide. He instantly remembered what Ashera had said to him in the tower.

_"I swear I'm going to torture you far worse than any human male ever has been!"_

Soren quickly backed away from the mirror, horrified. There was only one way Ashera could torture him worse than any human _male_, and it all made perfect sense now with his symptoms. His eyes drifted down to his stomach once more.

"Am I...pregnant?"

* * *

**Whoo hoo! First chapter is done! Don't worry, Soren dear, it's gonna get a lot worse! :P**

**Soren: That doesn't really sound appealing to me...**

**Thanks a bunch for reading, you guys! Please review and tell me what ya think! :)**

**-xoxo Rexcalibur **


	2. Chapter 2

**Yay! Chapter 2 has arrived! I think I'm having way too much fun with this story! :P Soren, you're just so fun to mess with!**

**Soren: So I've been told...**

**Well, I hope you guys like this chapter! Soren! Disclaimer! Now! :)**

**Soren: *sigh* Rexcalibur does not own Fire Emblem or any of its characters. Can I have a cookie now?**

**Awww of course you can, cupcake! *gives Soren cookie, which he devours almost instantly* But you don't get another one until you do the disclaimer for the next chapter.**

***Soren makes pouty-face***

**I'm just kidding! Here ya go! *gives him another cookie***

**Soren: Yay! *noms on the cookie* :D**

**Alright, enough of this! On with the story! :)**

* * *

"Soren?" Ike banged on the tactician's bedroom door. Soren hadn't set a foot outside his room since the night before, and Ike was starting to get a little worried. "Can you please open the door?"

Soren lifted his head slowly from where it was resting on the surface of his desk. "Go away, Ike," he said fervently. There was no way he was going to let anyone see him, not after he found out what the problem was.

"I brought you some dinner," Ike's voice carried from the other side of the door. "I know it's been awhile since you've eaten anything."

As soon as the word 'dinner' reached his ears, Soren's stomach gnarled angrily. He immediately tried to quiet it, but it was no use. Ike had heard.

"I know you're hungry, Soren," the commander continued, sounding slightly entertained by the noise. "Please, let me in."

Soren could no longer deny the fact that he was absolutely starving. Carefully, he stood up from his desk and made his way over to the door. He took a deep breath before turning the knob. Slowly and with an earsplitting creak, the door opened.

"There's a sport," Ike said, smiling broadly. Instead of grabbing the plate of food out of Ike's hands, Soren waited patiently for him to set it down on the bedside table. Once it was just sitting there, Soren allowed himself to tear into the meal. Ike just stood by and watched, a little unnerved at the way Soren was eating. It was so very unlike him. With a bit of deliberation, Ike decided to go against the decision he and the other mercenaries had made last night. If this mystery was to be solved, then he needed to know what it was that was bothering his tactician. "Soren," he said, causing the sage to look up from his food. "Have you been feeling okay lately?"

Soren looked back down, not wanting to meet Ike's eyes. "Fine," he said simply.

"Soren," Ike said his name once more, this time sounding a little disappointed. "You've never lied to me before. Don't start now." The sage let out a soft sigh. He had been caught.

"It's difficult to explain," he started off, not really knowing the proper way to go about telling Ike that there was a life growing within him. He looked up at his companion sadly.

"Go on," the commander said. "I'm listening." When Soren hesitated to say more, Ike pressed him even farther. "Look, all I want to know is why you've been acting so weird lately. What's gotten into you?"

Soren flinched a little at Ike's choice of words. What would happen if he told him? How would he react to this shocking news? Soren himself didn't even know how to react. And what would the others say when they found out? It was evident that they would eventually. Soren couldn't hide his growing 'baby bump' from them forever, and he certainly couldn't lock himself in his room until the child was born. Soren wasn't even sure if the thing inside of him was a child. Ashera could've planted a vicious monster in him for all he knew. Just the thought of that made his stomach churn, and he quickly scrambled for the bucket that was still in his room.

"Soren!" Ike shouted, rushing to help his friend. He took Soren's unkempt hair in his hands and held it out of the way while the sage threw up. When all the food he had just eaten was disgorged, he coughed violently, wiping the vomit from the corners of his mouth. "Are you alright?" Ike asked once Soren had calmed down.

"I need to tell you something," Soren's voice was barely above a whisper. "And you're not going to believe me."

Ike smiled sadly at his long-time companion. "Try me."

Soren inhaled deeply before he began. "Do you remember what Ashera said to me in the tower?"

"No, but I sure remember what you said to her," Ike said with a laugh. He clapped his hand on Soren's shoulder. "I didn't know you had that in you."

Soren didn't laugh or return the smile, for he knew it was because of his own actions that this had happened in the first place. "Well, she said she would torture me worse than any human male ever had been before."

Ike's eyebrows knitted themselves together. "By making you sick?"

"No," Soren said softly. He stood up and began removing his robes. "I'll show you what she did." Ike gave Soren a look that seemed to say, "what are you getting at?" but Soren ignored it. Once his black robes were laid in a heap on the floor, he pulled up his undershirt, revealing smooth, milky skin that was curved only slightly.

"Soren," Ike said nervously as he approached his friend. "What did she do to you?" Soren grabbed Ike's hand then, surprising them both, and positioned it on his abdomen. Ike allowed a small gasp to escape him. Soren's stomach was surprisingly firm to the touch. Suddenly, everything made sense. The vomiting, the irritability, the weight gain. They were all signs of pregnancy. "You're not, are you?" he asked, hoping that this was all a terrible joke.

Soren turned away from him and went to sit down on his bed. "I wish this was a farce, but I'm afraid it isn't." He stared down at the small bump. "I undoubtedly am."

Ike's head was reeling. He didn't know what to do or say at the moment. His tactician had been impregnated by the Goddess of Order. "Well, first things first, we need to make sure you're healthy," he said after a moment of thinking.

Soren's head snapped up. "Not if that involves seeing Rhys."

"Why not? You can't keep this a secret for long, Soren. In a few months, everyone's going to know just by looking at you," Ike pointed out. Soren gave Ike a death glare, but he knew the commander was right.

"Fine, I'll go, then."

* * *

Soren sat on the mock examination table that Rhys had set up in his room. "So what brings you here today, Soren?" the peace-loving priest asked. "Got a headache? Fever?"

"Neither of those," Soren replied dully. "In fact, I can guarantee you don't have a cure for this particular thing."

Rhys frowned a little. "Oh? What makes you so sure of that? I have many things that can cure a wide variety of ailments." The priest moved to get a bottle of medicinal herbs down from the top of a shelf.

"Well, unless you think you can cure a male pregnancy, then I highly doubt it," Soren remarked. The jar of herbs fell from the healer's hand and he turned to face his patient. The look of traumatism on his face could not be described.

"I'm sorry, but what did you say?" Rhys asked. "I think I must've heard you wrong."

"You heard me correctly," Soren said softly. He then began to explain how it happened, watching as Rhys' expression changed from hysteria to pity.

"I'm so terribly sorry this happened to you, Soren," he apologized. "This is going to be quite a challenge for you, considering your anatomical structure. Males are not created to carry children."

"Do you think you could possibly remove it somehow?" Soren asked.

Rhys frowned once more. "I'm afraid I couldn't do so without killing you in the process." Soren gulped loudly. That wasn't the answer he was hoping for. "But I'll do everything I can to make sure this baby comes with as few complications as possible."

Soren smiled ever so slightly. "Thank you, Rhys."

Rhys returned the gesture. "It's no trouble at all. Now," he clasped his hands together. "Let's get you on the scale, shall we?"

Soren hopped down from the table and stepped onto the weighing device, feeling a tad embarrassed. Rhys bent down to read the numbers. "Hmm...you're at about 125 right now."

"Is that a bad thing?" Soren asked, not really knowing how much he weighed even before he was pregnant. He knew it couldn't have been a lot, though, considering his lithe form.

Rhys chuckled a bit. "Not necessarily, but I can assure you you'll need to gain a lot more if the baby is to develop properly. The cravings should help with that, though." Rhys then instructed Soren to sit back down on the table. "I'll need to check your breathing and heart rate now." Rhys placed a gentle hand on the left side of Soren's chest, trying to feel his heartbeat. After about a minute, he was able to pick out a steady rhythm. "Alright, that sounds good," he said. Then he put his other hand on Soren's back. "Breathe in and out slowly for me, if you would." Soren did as he was told, and after about four deep breaths, Rhys concluded that was the end of the examination. "You should come back and see me again in about two months, though," he said before Soren left.

"Thank you for everything, Rhys," Soren acknowledged, then exited the room. He felt relieved somehow that there was another person who knew besides Ike. He knew, of course, that he would have to inform the others sooner or later, but he tried not to dwell on that fact. As he walked down the hall to his room, he didn't even pay attention to where he was going, and he ended up running right into Mist. They both fell backwards onto the ground.

"Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry, Soren!" Mist apologized, speaking entirely too fast. She held out a hand to help him up, and to her surprise, he took it. "I should've been looking where I was going. I'm so sorry," she said once he was on his feet again. Soren smiled and took both her hands in his own, only causing her to believe that he'd hit his head on the floor when he fell.

"It's alright, Mist," he assured. "It was my fault. You shouldn't worry about it." Mist nodded her head quickly, eyes still wide with shock. "Oh, and about what happened the other day," Soren began. "I'm sorry for scolding you so harshly. It was wrong of me and I sincerely apologize." Then he did something else that Mist never expected him to do; he put his arms around her in a tight embrace.

"Oh, it's okay. I forgive you," Mist said, her voice barely above a whisper. When Soren finally let go, he gave her hands one last squeeze, and then continued on to his room. Mist could only stare after him in sheer bewilderment. "He's acting so strange." It was at that moment when Rhys passed by her. She reached out and grabbed his sleeve of his robes, pulling him back towards he. "Rhys, do you have any idea what's wrong with Soren?"

Rhys couldn't help but smile. "I assure you there's nothing at all 'wrong' with him, Mist," he told her, a serene expression on his face. He then gave her a quick pat on the head and kept on walking. In all honesty, Rhys was quite taken with the fact that there would soon be a little baby in their presence, but he kept this thought to himself.

"I'm so confused," Mist uttered, then went on her way as well.

* * *

**Thanks for reading, you guys! Really means a lot to me! Don't forget to review! Chapter 3 will be here soon! :)**

**-xoxo Rexcalibur**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi guys! Chapter 3 is finally here! Okay, so I read a fanfic a little while back, and the author had like a Q&A thing for the characters in their story. I thought that was pretty cool, so I'm gonna attempt to do that here. How it worked was she just asked her readers for questions that they had for the characters, and they either reviewed with their question or messaged her. Then she put all their questions in the following chapter and answered them. So I thought that would be kinda fun to do, and the questions can be as ridiculous or as serious as you guys want them to be! :P And you can ask a question after each chapter if you'd like. So don't be afraid to ask your favorite mercenary a question! They would be happy to answer it for you! With all that being said, it's time for the disclaimer! Soren!**

**Soren: I'm on it. Rexcalibur does not own Fire Emblem. There you go.**

**Thanks, buddy! Enjoy chapter 3, my lovelies! :)**

* * *

"I jumped you three times, you little pipsqueak!" Boyd shouted at his younger brother. "Those pieces are mine now!" Rolf just sniffed and stuck his tongue out, causing the larger fighter to blow a fuse. The two brothers had engaged in playing a 'friendly' game of checkers while they waited in the mess hall. Like the others who were gathered there, they had no idea what was in store for them.

Ike had arranged a special meeting which he said was mandatory for all the mercenaries to attend. A little over a week had passed since Soren discovered he was pregnant, and Ike advised him to tell everybody before rumors got started. Soren knew he couldn't wait much longer, so he agreed to tell everyone all at once, as awkward and embarrassing as the situation would be.

"Ike, why won't you just tell us what the problem is?" Oscar asked. "It can't possibly be that bad."

"I honestly couldn't care less about what's wrong with the little whelp," Shinon commented. "It has nothing to do with me." He picked up his glass of ale and took a large gulp.

"Ike," a whisper came from behind the door. Soren's small body was quivering with fear as he tried his best to compose himself. He had been rehearsing this moment in his head for days, but now he had absolutely no idea how to break the news to them all.

"Are you ready, Soren?" Ike asked, leaning close to the door. "We're ready for you in here." He glanced over his shoulder at his company. Each one of them, save for Rhys, had a confused expression on their face.

Soren breathed deeply. "Yeah, I'm ready." He took a timid step forward as Ike opened the door.

"Hey Soren," Rolf chirped, smiling happily at the tactician, whom no one except Ike and Rhys had seen in a week. Then, as if given permission, everyone else greeted him. Except for Shinon, of course, who didn't even look at him.

"You're looking well," Titania offered, after no one else said anything.

"Thank you, Titania," Soren said in a small voice, then cleared his throat. "Um...well, Ike called all of you here because I have something of importance to say." He paused for a moment and fiddled with his hands. "Mind you, this isn't an easy thing to say."

"It's okay, Soren," Oscar reassured. "We're listening. And whatever the matter is, we're all here for you." He gave the nervous tactician a friendly smile.

Soren nodded, swallowing hard. "I know I haven't been myself for the past month, and some of the things I've done haven't been exactly...courteous." He threw a glance at Mist, who shrunk down in her chair a bit. "But there is a reason for my behavior, and I'm going to tell you that reason right now." He balled his fists at his sides, mentally preparing himself to drop the bomb on them. "I'm pregnant."

Shinon spewed his ale all over the table and erupted into a coughing fit. "What?!"

Everyone else reacted to the news in their own unique ways. Gatrie stared at the young man in shock, scratching his head. Oscar's eyes actually opened, and they were wide as dinner plates. Boyd had to slap himself across the face to check if he was dreaming. Titania almost looked as though she were about to faint. Rolf and Mist exchanged stunned expressions. Rhys sat there with a shy smile on his face, and Mia gave him a weird look.

"Did you already know, or something?" she asked the healer.

Rhys nodded his head. "He came to me when he first found out."

"Okay, hold on a moment!" Titania raised her voice above all the commotion. "How exactly did this happen? I mean, I think we're all aware that Soren is a MALE!"

"Unless he's secretly been female this whole time," Gatrie said, sounding suspicious.

"No," Soren said, getting irritated with them very fast. "Ashera did this to me."

The room was silent for a moment, then Rolf spoke up. "Ohhhh," he said, realization dawning on him. "Because of the nasty things you said to her, right?"

"I didn't intend to say those things!" Soren barked. "The only reason I said them was because Shinon-"Soren stopped himself midsentence, a dark storm cloud rolling into his brain. He made his way over to the marksman and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, causing Shinon to actually let out a tiny yelp. "This is all your fault!" Soren growled. "You're the reason this happened to me!" He drew his fist back, getting ready to punch Shinon square in the jaw.

"Soren!" Ike yelled, throwing his arms around the tactician in an effort to restrain him. He was eventually able to pry Soren away from Shinon before anyone was hurt. "You need to calm down, right now," he said sternly, looking his friend in the eyes.

Soren caught his breath and collapsed into Ike's chest. "I'm sorry, Ike," he mumbled, tears starting to well up in his eyes. "I don't know what came over me." Ike patted his friend sympathetically on the back, stealing glances around the room. His little sister looked like she was about to cry, as did Rolf. Mia's lips were pursed as she stared at the scene in front of her. Even Titania had a sullen look on her face, and her motherly instincts kicked in.

"Come, Soren," she said in a soothing voice, putting her hand on top of his head. "Let's go into the kitchen and have a glass of milk, shall we?" She smiled gently as Soren pulled himself away from Ike and allowed her to coddle him.

* * *

"I'm just so scared, Titania," Soren explained once the two of them were alone in the kitchen. "I have no idea what I'm supposed to do right now."

Titania frowned to herself as she poured two glasses of milk. It was a shame that she didn't have any advice to give him, having never had any children of her own. She knew though, that pregnancy was not an easy thing for a woman to go through. She couldn't even imagine what it was going to be like for Soren. "Just try to keep yourself relaxed as much as possible," she said, setting a glass down in front of him on the table. He gratefully took a drink of the calming liquid. Titania chuckled softly, and Soren gave her a strange look.

"What?" he asked. "What could possibly be funny?"

"Nothing. It's just..." She paused for a moment. "This is a side of you that I've never seen before, is all."

Soren 'humphed' at that, and went back to drinking his milk, gulping it in large amounts. He sighed when it was all gone, feeling quite satisfied.

"The baby must be hungry," Titania commented, desperately wishing she could've had the experience of a life growing within her. Soren's hand involuntarily touched his stomach.

"I guess so," he said, looking down at his bump. "It feels strange."

"I'm sure it does," Titania said absentmindedly, her eyes glued to the surface of the table. "I gave up all the possible joys of womanhood to be a knight in the Crimean Army." She suddenly found herself speaking her mind. "There was nothing I wished for more than to have a family of my own." Her voice softened, and Soren was compelled to listen to her story. "When I joined Greil's band of mercenaries, I felt like I was finally part of a real family, and I was happy. But then I would look at Elena, holding little Ike and Mist so lovingly in her arms. For the first time in my life, I was utterly jealous. She had something that I would more than likely never get the chance to have. It tore me apart."

"But then Elena was killed," Soren said, realizing now how Titania must've felt about Greil all these years.

"Yes," Titania said softly. "I never hated Elena, but I'll admit that I was in love with Greil, before and after she died." She began to weep silently then, and Soren reached across the table to take her hand in his own. "All I wanted was a family of my own," she cried, squeezing his hand. "Is that so bad?"

Soren shook his head. "Not at all. I know exactly how you feel. My entire life, I've wanted to know my parents. I've wanted to ask them so many questions, to feel their arms around me." He paused for a brief moment. "I've wanted to know what it feels like to be loved."

"You are loved, Soren," Titania assured him, offering him a sad smile through her tears. "We're all your family here, each and every one of us. We all love each other unconditionally. No matter what our blood ties are." She smiled knowingly as Soren's eyes widened.

"How did you know?" he asked in a low voice.

"I overheard you when you told Ike," she said. "And for what it's worth, I never thought you were a monster. I still don't."

"That's good to hear, I guess," Soren said. A thought occurred to him then. "Titania."

"Yes?"

"I want you to be there for the birth." Titania's features seemed to illuminate when she heard this.

"Really?" she asked hopefully, as if she were dreaming.

"And you can be the first to hold it when it's born," Soren added. "I would like for you to love it as if it were your own. I know it's not much, but it's all I can offer you."

"That's all I need," Titania beamed. "Oh, thank you so much, Soren." Before the little sage knew it, he was enveloped in Titania's strong arms. They felt so good around him, and he knew he'd made the goddess Yune smile.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Remember, if you've got questions for any of the mercenaries, feel free to ask away! You can PM me, or just ask your question in your review, either way will work! Until next time then! :)**

**-xoxo Rexcalibur**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello my dears! This chapter is a bit shorter than the others, so I apologize for that. The next few chapters will definitely be longer and have a lot more going on! So, no one's responded to the Q&A yet! You have until I post the last chapter to ask your questions, and I'll inform you guys when it's getting close to the end. Remember that you can ask any of the characters you want and the question can be about anything, although things relating to Soren's pregnancy would probably be more entertaining to answer! Okay Soren, you can do the disclaimer now!**

**Soren: Rexcalibur does not own Fire Emblem. More copyright crap that no one even reads...**

**So true. Alright, on with the story!**

* * *

Days became weeks, and weeks finally became a couple more months. Soren was now approximately three and a half months along in his pregnancy, and he was scheduled to see Rhys for his second 'check up.' As the weeks went on, he was definitely beginning to notice some more changes happening with his body. For one, he had to pee nearly every hour, which he found extremely annoying. And of course his growing stomach, which was now beginning to show itself prominently. His back was also starting to ache quite a bit as well, hindering him from his usual 'all work, no play' schedule. Of course, this was a blessing for Rhys, as he thought Soren should stop working himself so hard anyway.

Now, Ike was on his way to bring the pregnant tactician his breakfast, because Soren himself did not show up for the morning meal. Ike figured it was probably nothing, but in this particular case, one couldn't be too cautious. He knocked on Soren's door once, then twice. He received no answer. "Soren?" he called, leaning his ear against the wood. Inside, he could hear various grunts and moans. "What the heck is going on in there?" he asked himself aloud. "Soren, I'm coming in!"

"No!" Soren shouted in between his stress noises. "I don't want you to see me like this!" Ike ignored him, however, and opened the door. The sight he saw could've almost made him laugh. But he didn't, lest the sage Elwind him into next week. Soren was sprawled across his bed, his head and shoulders hanging off the edge of it, legs propped up against the wall. He was attempting, in vain, to button his pants. "Damn it!" he cursed, after one more futile try. Tiny beads of sweat were collecting on his forehead. "I give up!" He threw his arms down on the bed beside him and just laid there like a helpless child. He stared at his stomach, in all its swollen glory.

Ike leaned up against the wall, a small chuckle escaping him. "You know, you can always borrow a pair of my old pants if yours don't fit you anymore." His grin grew wider as Soren shot him a deadly glare. "I'm just saying." He put his hands up in defense of himself. "You're probably gonna need to. The baby's far from done growing."

Soren sighed heavily. "Yeah, I know. You don't need to tell me that." He looked over at his robes, which were slung over his desk chair. "Those don't fit me anymore, either," he said, pointing to them. "I nearly ripped them apart trying to get them on." Ike examined the robes, and indeed, there was a large laceration on the side seam of the torso. Soren pulled on his long-sleeved undershirt.

"Well, at least that still fits," Ike noted, trying to be optimistic about the situation.

Soren scoffed. "Hardly." He stood up, and Ike saw that the hem of the shirt went no further past his belly button. Soren tried pulling it down, but it just sprung back up right away. "See?"

"Well then you can borrow one of my shirts, too," Ike offered, giving Soren a hopeful smile. The tactician returned it with one of his unimpressed expressions. "Right, I'll go get those things for you then." Ike started for the door.

"Mmm, hurry back," Soren mumbled indifferently, once again examining himself in the mirror. He peeled the thin shirt off his body, casting it to the floor. His hands found his stomach, where they glided smoothly over the taut skin. Little stretch marks were beginning to etch themselves on his sides. It baffled Soren completely that his skin was even able to stretch as much as it had already, and it was nowhere near finished either. No doubt he would be growing much larger than he presently was over the course of the next five months. He wrapped his arms around the decent sized bump, as if to cradle the child within. "My life won't ever be the same again once you arrive, little one," he said softly. It was at this particular moment that Ike re-entered the room.

"Are you talking to it?" he asked, a small smile playing at his lips.

"No!" Soren sputtered defensively, turning around to face Ike. "I was talking to myself."

"Right," Ike said knowingly, handing the clothing items to his friend. "It's okay to do that, you know. Actually, Rhys say it's very beneficial to the child if it hears its mother's voice while it's in the womb."

"That reminds me," Soren said. "I have to go see Rhys." He pulled on Ike's clothes and hurried out of his bedroom.

* * *

"132," Rhys said, scratching the number down on his pad of paper. "Well, you've gained seven pounds since last time." Soren gratefully stepped off of the scale.

"Is that bad?" he asked, positioning himself on top of the examination table as per Rhys' instructions. "Because it feels like I've gained a lot more than that." He lied down on the table, feeling a slight pang in his lower back.

Rhys chuckled kindheartedly. "No, that's not at all bad. You just need to make sure you're not losing weight during the pregnancy. Otherwise, the baby is deprived of much of its means for development." Rhys set his pad down and lifted Soren's shirt up. He put a gentle hand on his belly and began pressing on it in various places. "Did any of those hurt?" he asked.

Soren shook his head. "Not particularly. The only thing that really hurts right now is my back."

Rhys nodded. "That's to be expected at this stage of the pregnancy. Just warning you right now, it's going to get worse."

"Yeah, I figured that," Soren sighed, rubbing the small of his back.

Rhys offered him a gentle smile. "Please try to remain positive, Soren. It'll make this a lot easier for you, I promise."

"I've been meaning to ask you something, Rhys," Soren said, hopping down onto the floor. "How exactly is this baby going to...you know...come out of me? I mean, you and I both know that my anatomy does not permit an opening for it to pass through."

"I understand that," Rhys said. "When the time comes, I'll just have to surgically remove it." he gestured to a razor sharp knife that was sitting on one of the counters.

Soren's breath caught in his throat. "You mean you're going to cut me open?!"

"I don't see how else we're going to get it out of you," Rhys said, knowing that he was scared about this as much as Soren was. The priest did not like the sight of blood. Sometimes, too much of it made him pass out. "If it makes you feel any better, I've been practicing on watermelons."

This bit of information really didn't make Soren feel better at all. A piece of fruit was not a human being. "Very well. If you promise to keep practicing, I'll promise to stay positive."

Rhys' eyes widened a bit, but he still smiled nonetheless. "Alright, you've got yourself a deal." Soren shook the man's hand and turned to leave. "Come and see me again in a couple more months!" Rhys called after him.

* * *

"You know, I'm actually really excited about the baby," Rolf said, examining a small daisy blossom in the palm of his hand. Mist wanted to give Soren a bouquet of flowers to lighten his mood, so she brought Rolf with her to help pick them. The young archer reached down and picked up a bright yellow daffodil, making a bit of a face. "You really think he'll like these?"

Mist giggled. "Of course he will. He's a lot more mellow these days because of the pregnancy. He might even give you a hug, Rolf."

Rolf couldn't keep his skin from crawling at this. "A hug from Soren? Just the thought of that makes me feel weird." He shook himself off a little.

Mist continued picking flowers, humming a happy tune. "I bet the baby will be really cute," she said, choosing a small purple violet to put in the bouquet.

"I bet it'll have big eyes like Soren!" Rolf said, laughing. Mist joined him in his frivolity.

"And it'll be just as smart, too!" She grabbed Rolf's hands in hers and swung him in a circle. "Oh, I'm just so excited to meet the little baby!"

* * *

**Thanks for reading, you guys! Please review and ask your questions! See ya in the next chapter! :)**

**-xoxo Rexcalibur**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hiya readers! Got chapter 5 up for you! And I think this fic is already halfways done! Sorry if it feels like I'm just zipping through this. I guess I'm just a really fast writer haha! And I really don't have anything else better to do with my time, so a lot of it's spent working on this story. Yeah, I pretty much have no life! :P So, this fic will probably end up being finished before the month is over. Yay! I can't wait for you guys to see the end! :) Alright, time for the disclaimer!**

**Soren: Seriously? I have to say this stupid thing for every single chapter?**

**Yes. Now do it, or I'll make sure you don't get any dessert tonight!**

**Soren: No, you can't! Oscar's making chocolate cake! And he said he'd put black olives on my piece! *starts crying* Rexcalibur does not own Fire Emblem.**

**Good boy. You can have your cake now.**

**Soren: Oh thank the goddess! I'm starving!**

**I'm sure you are. *pats his belly* Okay, let's continue on with our story, shall we?**

* * *

"Come on, Oscar. Just be brave and knock on the door," the paladin said to himself. He was standing just outside Soren's bedroom, with two pairs of baby booties in his hands that he had knitted himself. He made a blue pair and a pink pair, just to make sure the baby was accommodated whether it was a boy or a girl. He was sure Soren didn't yet have any of the necessary items to bring up the baby, so he took it upon himself to make something for him. Timidly, he raised a hand to the door and knocked quietly on the wood. Soren opened it a few moments later, surprised to see Oscar standing there.

"What brings you here, Oscar?" he asked. He looked down at Oscar's hands, noticing the booties. "And why do you have those?"

"They're for the baby," Oscar informed, giving them to Soren. The sage examined them curiously, turning them over in his hands. "You can use the blue ones if it's a boy, or the pink ones if it's a girl." The paladin scratched behind his head nervously. "I made them myself, so you can be assured that they'll last for as long as you need them."

"Oscar," Soren said softly, looking up at him. "I don't know what to say." He set the booties aside and threw his arms around Oscar, causing the other man to stiffen a bit. "Thank you."'

"Uh, no problem?" Oscar said, feeling a bit awkward. When Soren finally pulled away, there was a small smile on his face. He closed the door and retreated back into his usual silence, leaving Oscar somewhat baffled. "That was weird," he remarked, just as Gatrie walked by.

"What was weird?" the large knight asked, intrigued.

"Soren just hugged me," Oscar answered, turning to face Gatrie. "Is it just me, or does he seem almost _too_ happy nowadays?" Gatrie shrugged his shoulders, not really one to complain.

"I think we should consider it a blessing. At least he's not biting all our heads off."

* * *

"Okay, I want to know who moved all my tomes to the top shelf in the library and I want to know now!" Soren yelled, earning the attention of everyone in the mess hall. The only thing they could do was look up from their dinner and stare at him like deer in the headlights. Soren had gone back to mood swinging again recently, and all the mercenaries were suffering from it. "No one's going to admit it?" he asked icily.

"Soren," Ike groaned, his face in his hands. "You were the one who put the all the books back, remember? Maybe you put your tomes on the top shelf by mistake?"

"Yeah, I mean, it's an easy thing to do," Boyd agreed. Soren gave him the coldest eyes he could manage, and Boyd frantically looked back down at his plate.

"I don't make silly mistakes such as that," Soren growled, staring daggers at them all. "If someone did this to spite me, rest assured I'll find out who!" With that, he turned swiftly on his heel and skulked out of the mess hall, slamming the door behind him.

It was silent for a few minutes, then Shinon finally spoke up. "Well, that was pleasant."

"I think those tomes should probably stay on the top shelf, if we want to avoid being blasted across the continent," Boyd commented.

"I don't know about you guys, but I can't take much more of this," Mia said. "His constant mood changes are driving me up a wall!"

"Well, just think, Mia," Titania said, putting a hand on the younger woman's shoulder. "It's far worse for him than it is for us."

"Easy for you to say!" Rolf piped up. "He didn't pour a bucket of water all over you just for saying 'hello' to him, and then talk to you the next day like it never even happened!" The archer folded his arms grumpily over his chest. "It's all just so confusing."

"I agree with you, Rolf," Ike said. "But we just need to try and make the best out of this situation. It'll all be over soon enough."

* * *

Over the course of the next month, Soren found that he was able to do less and less work around the fort. He got winded easily, and his feet often ached after only a few minutes of standing up. After a heated argument with the commander, Ike decided to place him on maternity leave. The poor tactician was weak enough as it was, being five months pregnant didn't help at all. With a heavy heart, Soren obeyed Ike's orders. He hated not being able to do any of his work. It made him feel completely useless. Some days, he would secretly sneak paperwork out of Ike's room and correct it. It was almost always wrong, as the commander didn't have a clue of how it was supposed to be done. Unfortunately, he was caught almost every time, and Ike was forced to place a lock on his door. Soren, having nothing better to do, just sat alone in his room most of the time.

His belly had swelled up to nearly twice the size that it had been the previous month. It looked almost like he had swallowed a large cantaloupe whole. The skin continued to stretch, and Soren was beginning to feel a tightness in his abdomen that he hadn't felt before, as well as a few small sensations that felt like butterflies. Rhys explained to him that the baby was starting to kick, and to be grateful every time he felt movement. It meant the baby was alive and well.

As Soren stared at his huge stomach in the mirror one day, he couldn't help but think that something wasn't right. If his knowledge of pregnancy was correct, then he shouldn't have been that big already. He still had a good four months to go, for heaven's sake! He looked like he could deliver any day now. Feeling a bit concerned, he went to go see Rhys.

Soren found the healer in his room, arranging a few vials of medicine neatly in a row. He looked surprised when Soren knocked on the door post, letting him know he was there. "Are you feeling alright, Soren? You're not scheduled to see me for a couple more weeks yet."

"I know," Soren said, leaning up against the door for support. Rhys noticed this, and ushered him into the room, telling him to sit down on the examination table. Soren tried pulling himself up onto the table, but his arms gave out under his weight. He returned to the ground with a slight howl of pain.

"Soren!" Rhys cried, rushing to his side. He tried to help him up, but unfortunately, Rhys was about as strong as a young sapling. Thankfully, Ike happened to walk by, and the healer called out for him to help.

"Sure thing," Ike agreed, walking into the room. He got a firm grip on Soren and carefully hoisted him up onto the table with relative ease. By the time he had lied down, Soren was very short of breath.

"This is ridiculous," he spoke in between large gulps of air. "I've gotten so big, I can't even support myself anymore." He rested both hands on his stomach in an effort to quell a sudden, sharp pain that made itself known.

Ike looked at Soren, then at the healer. "Rhys, I've seen pregnant women before," he said. "They don't get this big until they're ready to give birth. What's going on with Soren?" Rhys dropped his head in solemn hesitation, not sure of what to say that could possibly offer relief to either of them.

"Please, Rhys," Soren begged, his red eyes glossy with tears. "What's wrong with me?"

Rhys stared long and hard at Soren's stomach, cradling his chin in his hand. He knew something wasn't quite right, but he wasn't exactly sure what the problem was. "You haven't gained _too much_ weight, have you?"

Soren shook his head. "I haven't been eating any more than I usually do, so I really don't see how that's possible."

"Maybe the baby's just growing really fast?" Ike suggested.

"No, that's not it," Rhys said, putting a hand on his head. "Soren, I'm going to have to ask you to lift up your shirt so I can do a quick check up on the baby." Soren did as he was told, pulling Ike's old, blue shirt up far enough so that his entire stomach was exposed. Ike had to look away for a moment at the sight of it. The once smooth skin was ravaged with stretch marks and discolored veins that were popping out everywhere. It looked incredibly painful. Ike watched as Rhys put his hands on Soren's belly and moved them around, trying to check for anything out of the ordinary. Soren winced when the priest put pressure to a particular spot on his left side. "Did that hurt?"

Soren nodded. "Yeah, a bit." Rhys continued to poke and prod every square inch, noting every time the sage drew in a sharp breath.

"Alright, I'd like to do one more thing," he said, and pressed his ear on top of Soren's stomach. He listened intently for a few moments, then gasped loudly. "Uh...Soren?"

Soren propped himself up on his elbows, not failing to notice the sudden drainage of color from the priest's face. "What? What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Rhys looked the tactician in the eyes. "I'm hearing two different heartbeats..."

...

...

...

"What?"

* * *

**Ohhhhhhhh snap! Soren's in for a world of hurt now!**

**Soren: ...you have got to be kidding me...**

**Nope! Hehe, this is gonna be so much fun!**

**Soren: Dear Yune help us all...**

**Thanks so much for reading! Remember, the Q&A is in effect until I post the last chapter, so ask your questions now! See you guys real soon! :)**

**-xoxo Rexcalibur**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi guys! Chapter 6 has arrived! Well, I'm very excited to announce that we've received our first questions for the Q&A! So, without further ado, here they are!**

**KiKat813 asked (for Ike):**

**Q: Ike, do you think there's going to be a BIG shopping trip soon? I think Oscar would be too busy to make all the clothes. I would hope Soren has more than booties anyway...**

**A: Ike: Hmm...you know I guess I never even thought about that. We really don't have any baby items on hand here at the fort (I mean, for obvious reasons). Yeah, I'm assuming we'll probably have to make a trip into town one of these days. And you're right, Oscar is waaaaaaaay too busy to take care of all that stuff. He barely has enough time for himself, poor guy. But anyway, even shopping's gonna be difficult now, considering we have to buy TWICE as much of everything! *sigh* This is gonna suck...**

**Good answer, Ike! Alright, onto our next question.**

**TheMysteriousGeek2345 asked (for Soren):**

**Q: What were you feeling when you discovered you were having twins?**

**A: Soren: Well, it's hard to explain the exact emotion I was feeling at that moment. There were thousands of emotions running through my mind. I was panic-stricken, to be completely honest. I still am. I guess right now, I'm just really hoping that all goes well. My fingers are crossed, as well as every other part of me. And don't hold me to this, but I think the babies are hoping for the best, too.**

**Awwwww, how sweet! Don't worry Soren, it's gonna be okay!**

**So that's all the questions I got this time around! If you've got a question, don't be afraid to ask it! And you guys who asked one already, remember you can ask as many as you want! You're not limited to one! Okay, so with those out of the way, go on ahead and read the chapter! Oh Soren! Disclaimer, please! :)**

**Soren: *sigh* Rexcalibur does not own Fire Emblem. Seriously, what's the point of this 'disclaimer' thing?**

**It's so the people at Intelligent Systems don't come after me with torches and pitchforks demanding copyright claims. You wouldn't want that, would you?**

**Soren: *hides pitchfork behind back and clears throat* No, absolutely not.**

**Alright guys! Enjoy! :)**

* * *

"You heard me," Rhys said. "Soren, you're having twins." Soren's face went white as a sheet, his mouth hanging open considerably. Ike had a similar reaction to the news, though he looked more like he was going to pass out. Or throw up, whichever came first. He had to steady himself on a nearby chair to keep himself from keeling over.

"You mean...there's two babies in there?" he asked, his words slurring a bit.

"That would be what twins means, yes," Rhys answered, a bit of rare sarcasm leaking into his voice. The room was silent for a moment, as all three of them tried to gather their thoughts. "Well, this complicates things a bit more."

Soren narrowed his eyes. "Like, how much more, would you say?" Soren had a very bad feeling about this. There was already a risk that he might not live through this, and now that risk had been doubled. He swallowed hard, feeling like he was choking on air.

Rhys turned away from the them for a moment, knowing Soren would want to hear the truth rather than a sugar-coated lie. "Well, not only will the birth itself be more difficult, but complications are bound to arise throughout the rest of the pregnancy. I suspect they'll probably end up coming sooner than we think, which means they could be very under-developed. And if that happens, there's a very good chance they won't survive."

"Won't survive?" Soren squeaked, not really knowing how to react to this information. The tiny little babies inside of him might not live to see their first day on earth. As bizarre as this whole thing was, Soren had began to grow rather fond of the baby, and he only felt stronger about it now that he knew there was more than one. He hated the thought that he might not even be able to meet his children.

Ike heaved a deep sigh. "Is there anything we can do right now that'll reduce that risk?" The commander seemed to be getting bit apprehensive.

Rhys seemed to ponder this for a minute. "The only thing I can suggest right now is that Soren go on immediate bed rest. I'll do a bit more research on this when I get the chance, but for now, I think that's the best we can do. Is that okay with you, Soren?"

The tactician nodded. "That's fine. I wouldn't want to do anything that might endanger them even more." Soren looked to Ike with somewhat pleading eyes. "Help me down?"

Ike smiled. "Sure buddy."

* * *

"Woah! Twins? Are you serious?!" Rolf trilled, dropping his bow on the ground. He all but forgot about his archery lesson with Shinon when Rhys told him, Mist, Mia, and Titania the news. The small sniper's eyes were absolutely gleaming with excitement, as were Mist's. Mia and Titania looked pleasantly surprised, though there was a hint of perplexity in both their faces.

"Oh my goodness!" Mist cried. "That's so exciting!" She grabbed Rolf in a hug and they both began laughing, as though they didn't have a care in the world. Titania smiled faintly.

"Yes, this is very exciting news," she said, but her face didn't show her merriment. "Rhys, can I see you in the kitchen for a moment?" she asked the priest, taking his hand.

"Sure, Titania," Rhys answered as he was led away by the red-headed paladin. He looked back at Rolf and Mist, so jubilant and optimistic. He wished they understood the seriousness of the situation. Titania closed the door softly behind them once they were in the kitchen. She wanted to make sure no one else heard this.

"He'll be okay, won't he?" she asked, worry showing itself blatantly on her face. "I mean, are the odds working in his favor?" She frowned when Rhys looked away from her gave a small sigh. "It's that serious, huh?"

Rhys carefully massaged his temples. "It wouldn't be this risky if he were a female, but he's not." Titania's eyes lowered themselves to the floor. She tried her very best to hold back tears. She couldn't even fathom the idea of Soren dying. "No," she said, clenching her fists. "He's not going to die. He can't." She took the priests hands once again, forcing him to look into her eyes. "Promise you'll do everything you can to help him. And the babies."

Rhys gave her a faint-hearted smile, and squeezed her hands. "I promise. And anyway, he won't have to go through this alone. He's got all of us." He chuckled a bit. "We'd be completely lost without him."

A brief moment of silence filled the air. "Everyone here is a part of a family," Titania whispered after a while. "And as a proper family should, we love everyone who's in it. Including those who haven't yet been born."

Rhys nodded his head in understanding. "Of course. I'll make sure I do whatever it takes to keep all three of them alive and well." He clapped a hand on her shoulder. "Why don't you go inform the others? I've got a bit of work to do."

* * *

Titania made her way outside to the practice field, where she found Gatrie, Shinon, and Boyd absorbed in their daily training. Gatrie was busy impaling things with his lance, while Shinon was preparing himself to shoot and apple that sat atop poor Boyd's head. Titania wondered why in the world Boyd had agreed to be Shinon's target practice, but decided not to open up that can of worms. She had other important matters to attend to out here. Gatrie looked up from the hay bale he'd just sunk his lance into and greeted her.

"Hey, Titania. Gonna train?" Shinon lowered his bow and looked in her direction as well, causing Boyd to exhale all the air he was bottling up in preparation for the arrow.

"No, I'm here because I need to tell you all something. It has to do with Soren." Shinon groaned, dropping his bow on the ground.

"What's the matter with him now? Is he throwing up again?" Titania scowled at the sniper, letting him know that she was not interested in hearing any of his rude remarks.

"He found out today that he's expecting twins," Titania informed. The three men stared at her, all with stunned expressions on their faces. It took a while before any of them said anything.

"So..." Boyd began, not really knowing what he was going to say. "Are we happy about this, or not so much?"

"Well of course we're happy," Titania said. "But we need to be cautious, as well. There's a lot of risks that come with having a multiple birth. And especially in Soren's case, since, well...men aren't supposed to bear children in the first place."

"So what you're saying is," Gatrie put in. "that there's a slight chance that our buddy Soren might not make it out of this alive?" Boyd's mouth dropped open when he heard this, and he glanced at Titania, hoping for her to say something reassuring. Even Shinon seemed a little disheartened for the tiniest fraction of a second, but he quickly replaced the expression with his trademark scowl.

"That's correct," Titania said softly, looking down at her feet. "I don't want any of you to get discouraged, though. It might cause Soren to feel like he can't do it, and he might just give up altogether. We need to be supportive of him every step of the way."

Gatrie and Boyd both saluted Titania. "Yes, Deputy Commander." Shinon, however, turned his back to Titania, not wanting to get involved in the situation. Titania didn't make him obey her commands, because she figured he would only do it out of spite anyway. And either way, Soren was not exactly on good terms with Shinon at the moment, so bringing him into the picture would only cause more trouble.

"Thank you for your cooperation," Titania told them before she left. Gatrie and Boyd watched her walk away, then turned to face each other.

"Man, I feel so bad for Soren," Boyd said, scratching a spot behind his head. "Ashera really had it in for the poor bloke."

Gatrie nodded solemnly, then glanced over at Shinon, who was leaning up against a tree, his arms folded across his chest. "Hey, Shinon?"

"What?" the sniper replied sorely, not even glancing at his friend.

"Doesn't all this make you feel guilty? Even just a little?" Shinon scoffed, looking like he'd just been insulted ten times over.

"Why the hell would I have any feelings of guilt about this whatsoever?"

Gatrie took on a timid expression, and he began to wring his hands. "Well, because you were the one who asked to trade skills with Soren that day."

"Well, he didn't have to agree with me!" Shinon spat, pounding his fist against the tree trunk. "He could've refused my offer! But the little whelp didn't even make much of an argument!"

"Stop calling him that!" It was Mia's voice that rang out a few feet away from them, and the three men snapped their heads in her direction. Her green eyes stared daggers at Shinon, who shrunk back a bit. "Don't you realize all the pain and agony he's going through?" She looked like she was about to tear up. "Don't you even care?" Her fists balled up at her sides and she looked down at the ground, resisting the urge to sock the pompous marksman a good one. "I'm not asking you two to be best friends, but won't you please just be nice to him for the time being? It'll make him feel a lot better if he knows everyone is behind him in this one hundred percent, not all but one." She walked away then, leaving them all completely devoid of words. Mia was not usually one to discuss these sorts of things, and her speech made Shinon start to hear that little voice in his head.

* * *

**Once again, thanks for reading! You guys are seriously the best! I love all of you so much! Stay tuned for chapter 7! :)**

**-xoxo Rexcalibur**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello all! Welcome to chapter 7! Before I say anything more, let's take a look at the new questions that I received! :)**

**Angelsapphire133 asked (for Mia):**

**Q: Mia, are you in love with Soren?**

**A: Mia: *starts laughing uncontrollably, then stops* Oh! You were being serious? Sorry if this disappoints you, but no, I am not in love with Soren. I consider him a dear friend (even though he's not always friendly towards me) but I don't love him. Besides, that fortune teller said that only my one true rival has what it takes to be my lover! *brandishes sword* Hiyaaaa! On another note, though, I'm really happy for Soren! I think he'll be a great daddy...or...mommy...whatever you'd call him...**

**Oh Mia...what would we do without you? :P Next question!**

**KiKat813 asked (for Ike):**

**Q: Ike, have you seen Soren eat anything really strange? Like, does he get odd cravings?**

**A: Ike: Ohhhhhh hell yes! In fact, some of the stuff he's eaten, even Boyd wouldn't touch! One time, he put a whole jar of strawberry jam in his beef stew! Poor Rhys couldn't keep anything down for a week after seeing that. Plus, Soren's always going on about how he needs to eat pickles with everything, including desserts. It's just plain disgusting, if you want my honest opinion. I'll be singing praises to Yune when this is all over!**

**Hang in there, Ike! You can do it! :)**

**So those are the question I got this time. If you have a question, please don't be shy! **

**Soren: Should I say the disclaimer now?**

**Yes, you may. Wow, I didn't even have to tell you this time!**

**Soren: Yeah, well...**

**Alright, go ahead!**

**Soren: Rexcalibur does not own Fire Emblem. I'm tired, can I go back to sleep?**

**Sure, sweetie! Be my guest! *under her breath* Wouldn't want you to be crabby next time... **

**Soren: Just for that, I will be! **

**Okay guys! Enjoy chapter 7! :)**

* * *

Another month passed, slower than ever for a select few in the mercenary fort. The weather outside was beginning to get colder, signaling the start of winter. The fireplaces in the fort always had to be stocked with wood, lest the temperature drop considerably. The mercenaries were forced to get out their winter clothes in order to face the cold air. The seasons were changing, and things were changing on the inside of the fort, as well.

Everyone became even more anxious as they awaited the arrival of the babies. Rhys had gone into a panic one morning after finding out there were no more watermelons. Oscar worried about the food stores, knowing there would soon be two more mouths to feed. Titania often found herself pacing the halls of the fort, hoping and praying that everything would be alright. Mist was busying herself with making little laurel crowns, in hopes that at least one of the babies would be a girl. Rolf would sometimes watch her as she made them, trying to do it himself. But his always turned out a bit oblong. Gatrie and Boyd decided they wanted to make a crib for the babies, as they both felt incredibly useless just sitting around and doing nothing to help. Shinon went out to the practice field a lot more often, passing the time mindlessly shooting arrows at his targets. Mia wanted to help in every way she could, so she took it upon herself to go into town one day to buy clothes and other supplies for the babies. She even wrote out the expense report for them, so Soren wouldn't have to once he was able-bodied.

Ike had been told by Rhys to sleep in Soren's room until the birth, just to ensure that if something did happen, Ike would be able to fetch the priest straight away. Soren didn't mind the company. In fact, he enjoyed it quite a bit. He was starting to get a lot more 'clingy' as the pregnancy progressed. He always wanted Ike by his side to talk to him. And when Ike wasn't there, Soren would complain about it until he _was_ there. The commander tried his hardest not to get annoyed by this, because Soren was his best friend, and he always wanted to be there for him.

One night in particular, Soren sat straight up in his bed, covered in a cold sweat. He ran his hands over his face several times, wiping the sleep from his eyes. But sleep wasn't the only thing he was clearing away. He was also drying his tears. "Ike," he said in a low voice, fearing that if he spoke any louder, his voice would crack and give away the fact that he was crying. He turned his head sideways to the commander, who was sound asleep on the cot just a few feet away from his bed. He was lying on his side, facing the opposite direction. "Ike," Soren said again, a little louder, but not much.

"Hmmm..." the commander mumbled in his sleep. "Wha-" He turned his body over and slowly opened his eyes. "Soren? What are you doing awake?" he asked groggily. He propped himself up on his elbow and looked his friend in the eyes. He noticed the agitation in them. "You should be sleeping, Soren."

Soren sighed, letting out nearly all his air. "I can't. I can't go back to sleep," he uttered quietly. He pulled his blankets up and wrapped them tightly around his body, suddenly feeling very cold. "I can't," he said again, his fists clenching.

Ike threw off his blankets and sat up. "Okay, what's bothering you? Maybe talking about it will make you feel better." He rested his chin in his hand and looked at Soren, waiting for him to say something.

An uncomfortable silence lingered in the air, until finally, Soren spoke. "It was a bad dream," he said plainly. He hated that he sounded like a defenseless child. Ike stood and walked over to Soren's bed, putting his hand on his friend's shoulder. Soren looked up briskly, his eyes engrossed with fear. Fear of the unknown.

"Dreams are not reality, Soren," Ike said softly, a small smile on his face. "We can't let what doesn't exist haunt us." He paused for a brief moment. "You have to fight the evil that puts those ideas in your head. Let it know that you are far stronger than it is, and you will win against it."

"You really think I can do that?" Soren asked in a small voice, not even recognizing it as his own. "You think I can expel the nightmares?"

Ike smiled again. "Only if you believe you can." He gave Soren another pat on the shoulder, and Soren nodded, as if to tell Ike that his work here was done. He could go back to sleep now. But Ike wasn't yet finished talking. "How are you feeling? Physically, I mean."

Soren gave Ike a pitiful look, then lied back down in his bed. "I am a cow, Ike. A big, fat, moody cow." He put one hand on his melon-sized stomach and the other behind his head, staring up at the ceiling.

Ike couldn't help but chuckle. "You're not fat, Soren. You're pregnant. There's a difference," he pointed out.

Soren sighed and nodded his head slightly, closing his eyes. After a brief moment, he opened them again, turning his head towards Ike. "But, I am moody?"

Ike's eyes widened, silently hoping that Soren wouldn't be too angry with him. He could already feel the sweat gathering on his forehead. He had to learn to be more careful in the things he said. Much to his surprise, however, Soren began laughing. So given permission now, Ike sighed in relief and laughed too. They continued on for about a minute, when Soren suddenly winced and put both hands on his abdomen. Ike's gleeful expression fell, and he was back in protective mode. "Soren, what's wrong?"

Soren took a deep breath, then let out some air in a few agitated gasps. "Nothing's wrong," he reassured, and Ike allowed his body to relax. Soren's eyes drifted to where his hands rested. "They're just moving around a lot, is all." Ike glanced at Soren's stomach, still wondering how in the world there could possibly be two human beings nestled inside his friend. Soren saw the astonishment in Ike's eyes, and he smiled softly. "Do you want to feel?"

Ike looked at Soren, a little taken-a-back. "Are you sure?"

Soren's smile grew wider. "Go ahead. Mist and Rolf do it all the time." He lifted his shirt up and the cold air sent a chill across his skin. "Just don't put too much pressure on it, okay? It bruises easily."

Ike nodded, slowly reaching out to put a hand on Soren's belly. When it made contact with the skin, he flinched a bit, not realizing until now how emaciated the skin was there. Soren just smiled and nodded his head, encouraging Ike to investigate a bit more. Ike's hand traveled up and down and across Soren's stomach. He was waiting desperately for another kick. Finally, it happened. He felt a tiny bulge against the palm of his hand, and his eyes lit up. "Wow," he said, sounding completely and utterly amazed. "That's incredible."

Soren chuckled slightly. "If you could feel what I feel, you'd be blown away even more." Ike retracted his hand and sat back down on his cot. Soren replaced his shirt and pulled his blankets back over his body, closing his eyes.

"So what do you think the genders are?" Ike asked, settling himself into his bed.

Soren shrugged a little, his eyes still closed. "One of each would be nice, I think. But I guess I don't much care what they are, so long as they're healthy." Soren heard snoring then, and he smiled a bit. He was always envious of how fast Ike could fall asleep. Yet the commander always complained about being tired still once morning came. Soren himself had always had trouble falling asleep. There were always one too many things on his mind. But after speaking with Ike tonight, and watching his face as he felt the babies' kicks, maybe, just maybe, he would be able to get a few good winks in.

* * *

**Yay! Thanks for reading, everyone! I hope to see all of you in the next chapter, and maybe get a few more questions this time! *hint hint hint* :) Also, if you haven't favorited this story yet, don't forget to do that! See ya! :)**

**-xoxo Rexcalibur**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi guys! Sorry if the wait has been a little long! I've been extremely busy with stuff as of late. I think I'm pretty much done being busy for a while now, though, so I'll be able to update again at my usual pace. Before we move on to the Q&A, I would just like to thank all of you for your continued support with this story! I would be nowhere without all you guys! You're such dedicated readers, and I love you for that! Okay, now it's time for the Q&A! I got a new record of 3 questions this time, which made me extremely happy! So, here you go!**

**Angelsaphire133 asked (for Ike):**

**Q: Ike, would you like that Soren's babies call you something like...Uncle Ike, or would you prefer them to be respectful and call you Commander Ike?**

**A: Ike: *smiles* Uncle Ike would be kind of nice. Yeah, I would totally be okay with that. I mean, Soren's my best friend, so it would only make sense that his kids see me as sort of an uncle figure. I wouldn't force them to refer to me as Commander. It took me a while to get used to that title myself. As I once told Shinon, it was never about the commandership, it was about my father. I just wanted to make sure our mercenary family was kept together. I guess in the grand scheme of things, that's what it all comes down to. Family.**

**What a heartwarming answer! I think I might cry! *sniffle* Okay, next question!**

**TheMysteriousGeek2345 asked (for Ashera):**

**Q: Ashera, are you enoying watching Soren suffer? And are these kids technically yours as well, and therefore demigods? Do you plan on killing Soren? If so, that's disproportionate retribution! Why should people worship you if you're such a git?**

**A: Ashera: Well! I'm guessing you're a very bold individual if you have the nerve to talk to me like that! I almost don't want to answer you, but Rexcalibur told me I have to. Fine...here you go. In answer to your first question, yes, I was enjoying watching him suffer...for a time. Something tells me he's not suffering all that much anymore. but he will be again soon enough, that's for sure! *laughs manically* And no, the children are not my own. In a sense, when I put them in Soren's makeshift womb, I basically made copies of his genetic material. However, they are not clones of him. I saw to it that they each had their own very different personalities. As for your next question, no, Soren will not die. He will experience pain that he never imagined possible, but I don't plan on killing him. That might make him suffer less. ****Why should people worship me if I'm such a _git_, as you so rudely called me? Well, I assume that's why they rebelled against me in the first place.**

**Hmmm...interesting, if not somewhat disturbing at the same time. Next question!**

**KiKat813 asked (for Shinon):**

**Q: Shinon, aside from training, do you have any other sort of coping method? It's difficult for Soren of course, but this can't be easy for you either.**

**A: Shinon: *groans* Mia's been talking to you, hasn't she? Seriously, why does everyone insist on making me out to be the bad guy here? It clearly wasn't my fault! I don't call training a "coping method." I just do it cause it needs to be done! I'm not at fault, no matter what anyone says, so I have no reason to cope with all this. *sighs* It's not like I wanted this to happen, and I wish everyone would just stop trying to make me feel guilty about it!**

**You don't need to hide anything from us, Shinon. I think we all know how you feel, deep down. :)**

**Well, that's all the questions I got! There's still time for more! So with that aside now, you can go on ahead and read chapter 8! Enjoy, and remember to follow and favorite if you like it! Disclaimer, please! :)**

**Soren: *pouts* You made me angry last time, so I don't feel like doing it.**

**I'll give you some cake.**

**Soren: All is forgiven! Rexcalibur does not own Fire Emblem.**

**Okay, here you go. *gives him the cake***

**Soren: Omnomnom. It's so good! :)**

* * *

"Good work, Boyd! I think it's finally done!" Gatrie said proudly as he took a look at the final product of what the two of them had been working on for almost three weeks now. Their hands had splinters lodged in them and their arms were terribly sore from sawing all the wood and nailing the planks into place, but it was all worth the trouble. The crib they had built was not fancy by any means, but it was still a very sturdy structure, as only the product of two strong men should be. They did add a little bit of decorative flare to it, as Oscar had suggested that it looked a little on the dull side. So to remedy the situation, Boyd carved a nice little pattern onto the sides of the crib. Well, a pattern, so to speak, would be giving him too much credit. It was really only a few squiggly lines here and there. But still, it looked slightly better than it had before. The axe fighter was quite proud of his artistic genius, and no one dared tell him that it looked like a five-year-old had done it.

Boyd raised his hand to give Gatrie a high five, which the larger knight was all too ready to accept. "I can't wait to see the look on Soren's face when he sees this! I think he'll like it a lot!"

"And those little tykes will actually have a place to sleep once they get here," Gatrie put in, still beaming over his and Boyd's work.

"Hey guys!" Rolf chirped as he and Mist entered the workroom. "Oh, wow!" the little archer exclaimed, his green eyes aglow. "You finished it! It looks great!" He began to examine it closer, running his hands along the wood, which had since been smoothed out so as not to give anyone splinters.

"I'll be honest, I thought it was going to look like a disheveled mess once you two were done with it," Mist added, walking circles around the crib. "But you actually did a pretty nice job with it."

Boyd was a little hurt by this comment. "I dare say we did a beautiful job!" he pouted, folding his arms over his chest. Mist giggled, knowing she'd struck a sore spot. She loved taking away his manly pride. It was a favorite past time of hers. "We might as well be carpenters!" the axe fighter boasted proudly.

There was a slight snort from behind them. "I wouldn't get too carried away. It's not _that_ good." Shinon was propped up against the door frame, watching all the commotion with a little distaste. He didn't really see what the big deal was. It was just a crib. Nothing more.

"Shinon! How long have you been standing there?" Mist confronted, putting on her best pouty-face. Shinon opened his mouth to speak, but the young valkyrie cut him off. "And how dare you say that! Gatrie and Boyd put so much time and effort into this! You could have at least lied and said that it looks good!"

"Yeah!" Boyd chimed in, a haughty expression on his face. "Wait...what?"

"Shinon, don't you think you're being a little rude?" Rolf pointed out, albeit with a bit of nervous vibrato in his voice. He never talked back to Shinon. As his student, he knew better than to give the marksman any lip. But this had gone on for far too long now. Shinon had been in a fouler than foul mood ever since they were all informed of the pregnancy. "What's got you so hot and bothered, anyway? I mean, it's not like _you_ have anything to worry about." Shinon knew he was talking about Soren. These days, you didn't even have to mention the sage's name in order to know someone was referring to him. Shinon shook his head and scoffed. How wrong they all were.

"Whatever. I'm just gonna leave now," he said, then turned briskly for the door. There was something that he needed to take care of. Right now. It simply couldn't wait any longer.

* * *

"Who is it?" Soren groaned as he heard the quiet knock on his door. Ike, who was sitting in the room with him, stood up, his hand on the doorknob, waiting for Soren's okay to open it. There was a heavy sigh from the other side.

"Can I please just come in?" The voice didn't have to say who they were. They both knew it was Shinon. "I really need to talk to you, Soren." Soren looked at Ike, then nodded his head slowly. Ike seemed to hesitate a bit, as he thought a catfight would ensue if he opened the door, but Soren convinced him otherwise. Ike meticulously twisted the knob in his hand, and the door creaked open ever so slowly, revealing the egotistical archer.

"Hey," Shinon said softly, at first not meeting Soren's eyes. Instead, he looked down at his feet and fidgeted with his hands. Soren eyed the archer suspiciously at first, then looked to Ike again.

"Could we have some privacy?" he asked the commander. Ike opened his mouth to protest, but Soren assured him that everything would be okay. Shinon wasn't going to hurt him. He truly believed that. He could tell by the way the archer avoided looking at him that he had something of importance to say, probably in the form of an apology. Soren could read him like a book.

Knowing that he wasn't going to win this battle, Ike finally left. He cast an ominous glance at Shinon before he left. "You'd best watch what you say."

Shinon managed to swallow a bit of saliva that had become lodged in his throat. He watched as Ike walked down the hall, and he turned back to Soren once he was out of earshot. "I think he has it in for me," he muttered, a nervous chuckle leaking into his voice.

"No, he's just looking out for me," Soren said, offering Shinon a seat, which he took. "It's what friends do." Shinon didn't fail to notice the sharpness of Soren's tongue when he emphasized the word 'friends.' This would be a lot harder than he originally thought. Then again, swallowing his pride had never been easy for him. "You have something to say, then?" Soren asked, pulling the archer out of his thoughts. "Why else would you have come to see me?"

Shinon hesitated a bit before he finally spoke. "Yes," he said, the word sounding a little strange to him. "I just wanted to...apologize. I feel really bad about this, and I just wanted to set things straight, for once in my life."

Soren nodded, knowing already how this was going to go. "Alright. I'll accept that," he said, causing Shinon to give him a wild look.

"What?" he sputtered, not expecting this answer. "You're forgiving me? Just like that?" Soren nodded, and Shinon was at a complete loss for words. "But...this whole thing is my fault!" Shinon insisted. "It was my stupid idea that caused this!"

"I think it's very noble that you're trying to take all the blame for this, Shinon," Soren said, sounding like a wise mentor. "But I agreed to trade skills with you. It's just as much my fault as it is yours." Shinon looked disbelievingly at Soren, but said nothing. "You know, being confined to my room these past few weeks has given me a lot of time to think about things, and I realized something the other day."

"Oh yeah?" Shinon asked. "And what was it?" His eyes drifted lazily to the lump underneath the blankets that was Soren's baby bump, which was ungodly huge.

"I realized that this isn't such a bad thing after all," Soren said, almost dreamlike. "This will probably sound strange to you, but they've given me a whole new purpose in life." He gestured to his stomach, the corners of his mouth turning up a bit. "I often find myself looking at the world differently now, and it's all because of them."

The room was silent for a few moments, as neither of them really had anything more to say on the matter. Shinon was in deep thought, contemplating what Soren had said to him. After a while, he broke the silence. "So...are we good now?"

Soren smiled and let out a hearty chuckle. "Yeah, we're good." The two of them sealed the deal with a firm handshake, and all was forgiven.

* * *

In the mess hall that afternoon, the mercenaries sat around the table, spending their leisure time doing absolutely nothing. The day was passing by so slowly, causing some of the mercenaries to go a little stir crazy. Of course, the ever-energetic Mia was among these few. She heaved a sigh as she polished one of her swords.

"I'm so bored," she complained, dropping the blade and resting her chin inside the palm of her hand. "We need something fun to do around here."

"I couldn't agree more," Titania said, chuckling slightly as she patted Mia's head. "What would you suggest that we do?" Mia seemed to ponder this question for a moment, then her face lit up considerably.

"Can we give Soren a baby shower?" she asked, her deep green eyes glistening with sheer excitement. Some of the others voiced their opinions, saying that it was a great idea. Titania, however, frowned slightly.

"I don't think he would be up to that. Besides, he's on bed rest."

"Bed rest doesn't necessarily mean that he's confined to his bed, Titania," Rhys informed. "It just means that he can't be on his feet for more than a few minutes at a time."

"So he could come out here for a bit? As long as he's sitting down or something?" Mist inquired. She loved the idea of a baby shower. Then again, any sort of celebration whatsoever made her happy.

"I don't have an issue with it," Rhys said. "Ultimately though, it's up to Soren."

"But aren't they usually a surprise?" Oscar asked. "At least, all the ones I've been to have been."

"I'm sure Soren wouldn't mind a bit of a surprise," Rolf put in. "He needs a little more excitement, anyway. It can't be much fun for him sitting in bed all day."

"We're gonna need some kind of excuse to get him out here, then," Boyd said. "Gatrie and I can think of that while the rest of you plan the party."

"I can make the cake!" Oscar offered, all too happy to be able to help out in any way that he could. And to bake. He enjoyed baking.

"Titania, Mist, and I will take care of all the decorations!" Mia added, grabbing each of their hands on her own. "We'll make this dingy room look amazing!"

"What should I do?" Rhys asked, feeling a tad left out.

"You can help me, Rhys!" Rolf piped up. "I'm gonna go clean some things." Rhys smiled and nodded, following the young archer to go get the cleaning supplies.

And thus, operation Baby Shower, was a go.

* * *

**Thanks so much for reading! I'm really looking forward to writing the next chapter! It should be a lot of fun! Remember to ask questions if you've got any! See you later! :)**

**-xoxo Rexcalibur**


	9. Chapter 9

**Wow! This story is darn near finished! I can't believe it! Feels like only yesterday that I started it! But I can't get sentimental yet! There's still a little bit left to go! So with that being said, time for the Q&A! :)**

**KiKat813 asked (for Gatrie and Boyd):**

**Q: Gatrie, Boyd, where did you guys learn the handyman skills? :o Is it part of the mercenary life to be part carpenter?**

**A: Gatrie: Well, I myself just sort of picked them up naturally. When I was a boy, I always helped my father with the projects that he did. He wasn't a professional carpenter, but he built most of our furniture himself. I actually haven't built anything in a long time, so I'm surprised that the crib turned out as good as it did! *laughs***

**Okay Boyd, what do you have to say to this?**

**A: Boyd: Oh, ya know. Woodworking is just something that men take to instinctively. Gatrie showed me a little bit of how to do it when we were working on the crib, and I latched on really fast. Besides, I hear that it's a real turn on to women if men are good with a hammer and saw. *winks* If ya know what I mean...**

**Mist: Ewwww! As if!**

**Boyd: Where did you come from?!**

**Haha, okay, that's all we've got for the Q&A this time. If you've got questions for next time, feel free to ask away! :) Alrighty then, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Time for the disclaimer! Wait...Ike? Why isn't Soren here?**

**Ike: He really is in no mood to do the disclaimer today. He threw a book at me. *rubs large bump on his forehead***

**Oh. Well...can you do the disclaimer?**

**Ike: Yeah, sure. Rexcalibur does not own Fire Emblem. I should go check on him again. *leaves***

**Well, I'm glad he didn't throw the book at me...**

* * *

Over the next few days, the mercenary fort was bustling with activity in preparation for the baby shower. The women set to decorating the entire fort with a few ribbons and such that they had found in town. The mess hall was already starting to look brighter and cheerier than it had been before. Mist painted a sign that said "It's Twins!" and hung it over the doorway, while Mia and Titania put their hand prints all over it. Oscar worked diligently to prepare the cake, wanting it to be absolutely perfect. When it came to the culinary arts, the squinty-eyed paladin was definitely a perfectionist.

Most of the party planning was going smoothly, but Gatrie and Boyd still hadn't come up with the ideal excuse to get Soren out of his room. They had gone through almost every idea that they had, crossing them out on a piece of paper as they went. After tossing at least twenty ideas out there, they were beginning to think that there was nothing in the world that would be exciting enough for Soren to get him to come out of his room.

"I got it!" Boyd suddenly exclaimed. "Why don't we just tell him it's an emergency? That he needs to come to the mess hall right this minute. We don't tell him why, we just say that he has to. That should be good enough."

Gatrie seemed to think this over for a moment. "If he doesn't question what kind of an emergency," he said, seeing a small flaw with this plan. "We should at least have a little bit of an explanation."

"Damn," Boyd cursed, flopping down onto the floor. "There's always a catch."

"Why don't I just call for an important meeting that all of us, including Soren, need to attend?" Ike suggested, striding into the room. He had heard their dilemma from outside the door, and decided he should probably shed some light on the situation. "He wouldn't dare disobey a direct order from me."

"Ike!" Gatrie shouted. "Why didn't you tell us that earlier? We've been in here all day trying to figure something out!"

Ike's face hardened a bit. "Well, I guess I would've if I knew what the heck was going on around here! Why does the mess hall look like it was taken over by Elincia?" Gatrie and Boyd shrunk back. In the heat of the moment, they had all forgotten to ask Ike if throwing a baby shower would be okay.

"Oh...well..." Boyd began, trying his hardest to explain. "You see, Mia had this great idea that we give Soren a baby shower." He smiled innocently, hoping this would win Ike over.

Ike looked slightly less angry. "Guys, I'm not mad about it," he assured, his tone softer than before. "I just wish you would have included me in all this. Soren's my best friend, you know."

Gatrie and Boyd both nodded. "We know," they mumbled.

"We just thought you'd be too busy taking care of him," Gatrie said. "We didn't know if you'd have the time to help out."

Ike nodded in complete understanding. "Well, you were right about that. Lately, he hasn't let me out of his sight for more than five minutes. But he's sleeping now, so I'm a free bird for a while." He smiled broadly.

"Well, great!" Boyd said. "Let's get back to work!"

* * *

"Soren," Ike said, lightly shaking his friend's shoulder to wake him. "Soren, wake up." The sage's eyes fluttered open, and he looked at his friend, taking on a rather annoyed expression.

"Ike," he moaned, still half asleep. "What do you want?" He rubbed at his eyes vigorously.

"I've called for an important meeting. You can't miss it," Ike told him, taking his hand. "Come on. Let's go."

Soren sighed. "And how do you propose that I get out there? Walking isn't all that easy for me nowadays." Ike just laughed.

"I know. Hang on a minute." He helped Soren sit up, then he slung one arm around Soren's back and gathered his legs with the other. Soren winced and latched his arms tightly around Ike's neck. "Easy now," Ike whispered as he hefted Soren up off the bed. He actually grunted a little as Soren's weight settled into his arms.

"Don't drop me," Soren mused, hearing the quiet sound. "I can't imagine that would be very pleasant."

"Don't worry, I won't," Ike assured, a small smile on his face. "You're just a little heavier than last time, is all."

"Mmm," Soren said, wearing an indifferent expression. "Are you surprised? Rhys guessed that the babies both weigh about six pounds now." Soren shifted his body uncomfortably in Ike's arms as he felt movement.

Ike whistled in sheer amazement. "Wow, they've grown a lot since your last check-up."

Soren nodded. "Rhys gave me approximately three more weeks. And even that estimate is a bit short of my actual due date."

"Three weeks?" Ike asked incredulously. "That's...soon." He had to pause for a moment to search for the right word. "You think they'll be alright if they're born that early?" Ike began moving slowly towards the door, relying on only one arm to carry Soren as he reached for the knob.

Soren sighed deeply and leaned his head on Ike's shoulder. "I'm hoping so." Ike just smiled and continued the walk to the mess hall, where everyone was waiting for them.

* * *

"They're coming, everybody!" Titania whispered, rather loudly. "Places!" Everyone scrambled to get a good hiding spot, and silently waited for the door to open.

"I'm so excited!" Mist squealed, and they all shushed her. After a few moments, the door opened, revealing Ike with Soren in his arms. Soren looked around the room, confused as to why no one was there.

"I thought you said you called a meeting?" he asked.

Just then, everyone jumped up out of their hiding places. "Surprise!" they shouted, causing Soren to let out a slight screech.

"What's all this about?" he asked, still scanning the room with widened eyes. "And what are all these decorations for?"

Mia had a giant grin plastered onto her face. "It's a baby shower!" she said happily. "Come on then, Ike. Set him down here." She directed the commander to a seat at the head of the table. Ike did so, carefully putting Soren on the chair.

"Alright, everyone, take a seat," Titania said, ushering them all closer to the table. "Oscar, would you mind serving the cake now?"

"Sure," the paladin replied willingly, and went into the kitchen.

Soren was still having a hard time digesting everything. "You guys really did all this for me?"

"Of course we did!" Rolf chirped. "It was the least we could do for you."

Titania nodded. "Rolf is right. Soren, you've done so much for us. We wanted to return the favor." She gave the tactician a warm smile, which he returned fully.

"Thank you. All of you," he said, taking time to make eye contact with each of them. Even Shinon was wearing the smallest of smiles. "This really means a lot."

"I got the cake," Oscar called, coming back from the kitchen with a huge three-layer cake in his arms. "Needless to say, I think we'll have leftovers," he chuckled. Everyone else laughed heartily. Oscar set the cake down on the table and began cutting slices for everybody. As they ate, they complimented Oscar on how good it was, and the paladin turned a deep shade of red.

"Can we give Soren our presents now?" Mist asked, holding a small box in her hands. Titania nodded, giving her the okay, and Mist set the box down carefully in Soren's hands. The sage looked at her curiously, then down at the box. "Go on," she said. "Open it."

Soren carefully untied the little white bow that held the box together, then slowly removed the top. Inside, was a small, silver rattle. "It's beautiful, Mist," he said, and he meant it. "Thank you."

"They only had the one at the shop I went to, so they'll have to share it," Mist said.

Soren chuckled slightly. "That's okay. They've been sharing since day one." Mist laughed and took his hand in hers. In return, he smiled and whispered "thank you" once more.

"My turn!" Rolf exclaimed, giving his present to Soren. Soren opened the box, revealing a soft, blue baby blanket.

"But what if they're both girls?" Mia asked, causing Rolf's face to fall.

Soren put his hand on the young archer's shoulder. "It's okay, Rolf," he said. "The color really doesn't matter. They'll like it all the same." The perpetual smile was brought back to Rolf's face.

And so the gift giving continued. Mia gave him two small teddy bears. Rhys gave him a bottle and two pacifiers. Oscar made two onsies for the babies, and Titania, with Oscar's help, knitted hats for them to wear during the winter. Shinon had to scramble a bit to find a good gift, but he eventually decided on a talisman that was said to bring good luck. He figured Soren would need all the help he could get with raising twins. And finally, Gatrie and Boyd presented the crib they had made, which was the icing on the cake. Once they had all given their gifts, they each gave Soren a hug, and the party was disbanded. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves, and they continued their day with huge smiles on their faces.

* * *

**Yay! Thanks for reading, you guys! Stay tuned for chapter 10! It's gonna be a good one! :)**

**-xoxo Rexcalibur**


	10. Chapter 10

**AHHHHHH! OH MY GOSH! Chapter 10 is here! This is the last official chapter of the story, guys! :( But there will be an epilogue of sorts after this, so don't start crying yet! :) Since this story is rated T, I tried to keep this chapter as 'clean' as possible. So, if you are incredibly squeamish, I apologize! :P**

**Time for the Q&A! My favorite part of the author's note! :)**

**KitKat813 asked (for Ike):**

**Q: Ike, what sort of things do you do with Soren when he's in his clingy mode and you're kind of stuck in his room?**

**A: Ike: It really depends on what kind of a mood he's in. If he's crabby, he'll just sit there and vent to me, and he won't let me leave until he says so. If he's in a good mood, we usually just talk, reminisce about old times, the usual best friend stuff. Lately, I've had to massage his back a lot, cause I guess it's been bothering him pretty bad. But you know something? There's really nothing I wouldn't do for Soren. He's the greatest friend I've ever had, and he always will be.**

**KAWAII! Ike, when will you stop giving such heartfelt answers!? I can't take it! XD**

**Alright, now that that's out of the way, you guys can get started reading the chapter! Hmm...do I dare ask Soren to say the disclaimer?**

**Titania: That's okay. I'll do it in place of him. Rexcalibur does not own Fire Emblem.**

**Gee, thanks Titania!**

**Titania: Don't mention it!**

**Okay, I've kept you guys waiting long enough. On with the story! :)**

* * *

The snowflakes fell silently outside the fort on one very cold night in particular. It was winter, so of course the mercenaries were used to the cold by now. But even with all the fireplaces ablaze, the temperature was still dropping rapidly. The wind howled outside, making a horrible racket as the surrounding tree branches scraped against the stone walls of the fort. It was an eerie winter night, to say the least.

Ike shivered in his sleep as he pulled his only blanket closer to his body. He had given most of them to Soren, who was in more need of them than he was. Now, said sage was not asleep. He was wide awake, shielding his body from the cold with his arms the best he could. But the cold was not the only thing bothering him. Just before he'd gone to bed that night, he had felt a strange tightening sensation in his abdomen. He didn't think too much of this at first, but now, it was becoming too overbearing to ignore.

He pulled himself up into a seated position, clenching his stomach tightly. The feeling came again, squeezing his insides like a boa constrictor. He let out a small gasp as the pang racked his body, travelling swiftly up his spine. Without even knowing it, he had started breathing faster. He yelped quietly as it hit him again not five minutes later. "Goddess," he breathed, his hands rubbing furiously all over his belly. "Not yet. I've still got at least two weeks to go." In sheer agony, he threw his head back, trying desperately to catch his breath and remain calm. "Ike," he croaked, looking over at his friend, who was peacefully sleeping on the cot. "Ike!" he all but cried as another contraction took full hold of him. Sweat was beginning to drip down his forehead.

Ike rolled over slowly and groggily sat up on the cot, rubbing his eyes. "What? What's the matter?" he asked. Then he heard the sound of Soren's heavy breathing, and he rushed to his friend's side. "Soren?" He put his hand on Soren's shoulder, then noticed how he was holding his abdomen. Ike looked back at his friend briskly, a look of panic on his face. "You're kidding, right?"

Soren shook his head rapidly. "No, they're coming now!" he moaned. He could feel his heart rate rising with every gulp of air he took in. He suddenly found that his body was becoming very warm. He threw the blankets aside and tore off the shirt that he'd been wearing for the last six or seven months, one that had become increasingly smaller with each passing week as of late. Ike took all the fabric Soren had tossed aside and moved it onto his cot, knowing he had to do everything he could to help his friend. Ike couldn't help but stare at Soren's bare skin for a moment. It was so stretched, so taut, it looked like it might break apart any minute now. He blatantly saw the outline of a foot press up against the side of Soren's belly.

"Ike!" Soren shrieked, drawing the commander out of this thoughts. "Go get Rhys and Titania! Please!" Soren was scant of any breath at all after he got the words out, and he had to inhale a large amount of air in order to keep from passing out from all the pain. He knew he had to remain strong through all of this. For the babies' sakes.

"Right!" Ike obliged, leaving immediately to fetch the two. He literally sprinted down the hall to the priest's room. "Rhys!" he called loudly, banging on the door.

The priest's eyes shot open and he inhaled sharply. "It's time!" He sprang out of his bed and grabbed all his supplies. "I'll be right there, Ike!" He emerged from his room just seconds later, holding a bucket with various items in it. Among the items were a few towels, a couple blankets, and a knife.

The door across the hall opened at that moment, revealing Mia. "What's all the fuss about?" she asked, a truly curious expression on her face.

"Soren's in labor," Ike answered her, and her eyes nearly popped out of her head.

"He's having the babies?!" she exclaimed, causing all the surrounding doors to open. Titania was the first to join the group in the hall, followed by Mist, Boyd, Oscar, Gatrie, Rolf, and finally Shinon.

"He's really having them right now?" Titania asked, worry leaking into her voice.

"Yes," Ike answered. The hallway erupted into a loud commotion then, as everyone had their own way of reacting to this news. Mist and Rolf hugged each other, each saying how excited they were that they would soon get to meet the babies. Gatrie and Shinon exchanged jittery glances, not wanting to even think about the idea of childbirth. Oscar looked like he was about to faint, so Boyd had to steady him. Suddenly, they were interrupted by an earsplitting scream that reverberated throughout the fort.

"Hey, did you forget about me?!" Soren screeched. He swore he would get back at them for this.

"We're coming, Soren!" Ike called back. He grabbed Rhys' and Titania's hands and nearly yanked them down the hall. When they got back to Soren, he had moved himself into a kneeling position on his bed, his arms cradling his belly. He slowly looked up at the trio with bloodshot eyes.

"I think my water broke," he said. "Don't ask me how I know, but I just felt something, kind of like a pop. Then I felt a warm fluid running down my legs."

Rhys looked sorely confused. "But where did it come out of?" He craned his neck to look down at Soren's pants. Sure enough, they were wet. "But if the water came out, then that would mean the babies have a means of getting out, as well."

"What do you mean?" Soren asked, panting.

Rhys smiled slightly. "It means you're going to have a natural birth after all, Soren." He took the knife out of the bucket and set it aside. "Which means I won't have to use that on you, thank the Goddess."

Soren was somewhat relieved that his gut didn't need to be sliced open, but still, natural childbirth was just as painful. He braced himself for what was about to come. "Alright," he sighed, clenching his fists. "What do you need me to do?"

"First of all, you'll need to sit back a bit, just slightly reclined as if you're relaxing in bed." Soren nodded, and with the help of both Ike and Titania, he moved into position. "Now I'll need you to remove your pants." Soren nodded, and unbuttoned Ike's pants, sliding them off slowly. Rhys pulled them off the rest of the way and threw them aside. "Alright, now I need you to pull your knees in closer to you and spread your legs apart like so." The priest positioned Soren's legs so they were exactly how he wanted them and took a deep breath. "Okay Soren, when you're ready, give me a good push."

Titania held Soren's hand tightly. "It's alright," she said, trying to make her voice sound as soothing as possible. "It'll be over before you know it."

Soren looked at her through his pained expression. "Thank you, Titania." He then turned to look at Rhys, letting him know he was ready. Rhys nodded, and crouched down a bit so that he was eye-level with the cervix.

"Deep breaths, Soren," Rhys reminded him. Soren did as he was instructed, then bore down as hard as he could, trying to ignore the searing pain that plagued his lower abdomen. He let out a few strangled cries, sweat continuing to pour down his face. Titania put her free hand on his forehead, attempting to blot away some of the perspiration. Soren pushed again, and he squeezed Titania's hand tightly. She in turn gave his hand a few solid squeezes, in hopes that she could draw his attention away from the pain. Soren groaned loudly as the burning sensation increased.

"Keep going, Soren," Rhys coached. "I can see the first baby's head."

"Okay," Soren squeaked. He panted and puffed as hard as he could, willing himself to keep at it. He curled his body forward and bore down once more, with much more force than last time. He screamed loudly as the baby's head slid slowly through the narrow passage, and then finally emerged into the world. Immediately, the baby's cries filled the air, and a tear rolled down Soren's cheek. Rhys guided the baby as the rest of its body was delivered with another small push. "Well done, Soren!" Rhys congratulated. "It's a little baby boy!" Rhys grabbed the knife from the table and cut the umbilical cord, then he handed the baby over to Titania for her to clean off.

"Oh, look at you!" Titania cooed, gazing in awe at the newborn. "Aren't you precious?" She rubbed the towel over the baby's tiny body, wiping away all the blood and fluids that covered its fresh skin.

Ike patted Soren's shoulder. "Good job," he said softly. Soren smiled and grasped his best friend's hand.

"We're not done here yet, though," Rhys reminded. "There's still another one in there."

"Right," Soren said, preparing himself to push again. The pain had dulled for a moment after he'd delivered the first baby, but now it was starting to flare up again. He braced himself as another contraction took hold, and he pushed hard. He whimpered a little as Rhys told him the second baby's head was visible. He so desperately wanted to sleep, but he couldn't rest until the other was born. He pushed again and again, and finally, a second cry filled the room. Immediately, all the pain Soren felt was gone. His head fell back against his pillow, and he was now able to relax as he listened to the sweet sound of his children's cries.

"Well, you've already got a boy, and now you've got a girl," Rhys said as he once again sliced the cord. "Would you look at that."

Soren laughed breathily, completely overjoyed. He had a little boy _and_ a little girl. Titania smiled as she handed both babies to him. "Congratulations, Soren. You did so well."

Soren held his babies close to him, smiling broadly. "They're perfect," he said, and Ike knelt down beside him.

"So, what are you going to name them?" he asked. Soren gave both of the babies a gentle kiss on their forehead.

"I think I'll name the boy Arua," he said, gazing into his son's eyes. Then he turned to his daughter. "And the girl will be named Eslina."

Titania joined them. "Those are lovely names," she said. "How ever did you think of them?"

Soren just shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I guess they sort of just came to me."

Rhys gathered up all the dirty towels and the bloodied knife. "Well, I think we should let Soren and the babies rest for a while. They all need it." He smiled then, and left the room. Titania followed after him, and Ike gave Soren's hand one last squeeze before he left.

Soren heaved a sigh and closed his eyes. "What a journey this has been." Then he looked at his children, both sleeping soundly. He smiled blissfully as he stroked their delicate faces with the tip of his finger. "But it was all worth it in the end."

* * *

**Wow, I can't even tell you guys how thrilling this chapter was to write! It was just amazing! Lots of feels, huh? :P **

**Okay, here's the deal. Since there will technically be another chapter, you guys have one last chance to ask your questions for the Q&A! Think carefully about this one, so you don't regret the question you chose later! Until next time then! :)**

**Oh, and just in case you're wondering, here's the pronunciation key for the babies' names:**

**Arua is pronounced Ah-roo-ah**

**Eslina is pronounced Es-lee-nah**

**So there you go! See you guys in the epilogue! :)**

**-xoxo Rexcalibur**


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